the anti-slavery crusade-第12章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


emorable　debate　upon　a　similar　petition　from　Virginia　Quakers；　in　which　most　radical　abolition　sentiment　was　expressed　by　actual　slaveowners。　Adams　continued　to　present　anti…slavery　memorials　and　at　the　same　time　to　express　his　opposition　to　the　demands　of　the　petitioners。　When　in　1835　there　arose　a　decided　opposition　to　the　reception　of　such　documents；　Adams；　still　in　apparent　sympathy　with　the　pro…slavery　South　on　the　main　issue；　gave　wise　counsel　on　the　method　of　dealing　with　petitions。　They　should　be　received；　said　he；　and　referred　to　a　committee；　because　the　right　of　petition　is　sacred。　This；　he　maintained；　was　the　best　way　to　avoid　disturbing　debate　on　the　subject　of　slavery。　He　quoted　his　own　previous　experience；　he　had　made　known　his　opposition　to　the　purposes　of　the　petitioners；　their　memorials　were　duly　referred　to　a　committee　and　there　they　slept　the　sleep　of　death。　At　that　time　only　one　voice　had　been　raised　in　the　House　in　support　of　the　abolition　petitioners；　that　of　John　Dickson　of　New　York；　who　had　delivered　a　speech　of　two　hours　in　length　advocating　their　cause；　but　not　a　voice　was　raised　in　reply。　Mr。　Adams　mentioned　this　incident　with　approval。　The　way　to　forestall　disturbing　debate　in　Congress；　he　said；　was　scrupulously　to　concede　all　constitutional　rights　and　then　simply　to　refrain　from　speaking　on　the　subject。　This　sound　advice　was　not　followed。　For　several　months　a　considerable　part　of　the　time　of　the　House　was　occupied　with　the　question　of　handling　abolition　petitions。　And　finally；　in　May；　1836；　the　following　resolution　passed　the　House：　〃Resolved；　That　all　petitions；　memorials；　resolutions；　propositions；　or　papers　relating　in　any　way　or　to　any　extent　whatever　to　the　subject　of　slavery　or　the　abolition　of　slavery；　shall；　without　being　either　printed　or　referred；　be　laid　on　the　table；　and　that　no　further　action　whatever　shall　be　had　thereon。〃　This　is　commonly　known　as　the　〃gag　resolution。〃　During　four　successive　years　it　was　reenacted　in　one　form　or　another　and　was　not　repealed　by　direct　vote　until　1844。　When　the　name　of　Mr。　Adams　was　called　in　the　vote　upon　the　passage　of　the　above　resolution；　instead　of　answering　in　the　ordinary　way；　he　said：　〃I　hold　the　resolution　to　be　a　direct　violation　of　the　Constitution　of　the　United　States；　of　the　rules　of　this　House；　and　of　the　rights　of　my　constituents。〃　This　was　the　beginning　of　the　duel　between　the　〃old　man　eloquent〃　and　a　determined　majority　in　the　House　of　Representatives。　Adams　developed　undreamed…of　resources　as　a　debater　and　parliamentarian。　He　made　it　his　special　business　to　break　down　the　barrier　against　the　right　of　petition。　Abolitionists　cooperated　with　zeal　in　the　effort。　Their　champion　was　abundantly　supplied　with　petitions。　The　gag　resolution　was　designed　to　prevent　all　debate　on　the　subject　of　slavery。　Its　effect　in　the　hands　of　the　shrewd　parliamentarian　was　to　foment　debate。　On　one　occasion；　with　great　apparent　innocence；　after　presenting　the　usual　abolition　petitions；　Adams　called　the　attention　of　the　Speaker　to　one　which　purported　to　be　signed　by　twenty…two　slaves　and　asked　whether　such　a　petition　should　be　presented　to　the　House；　since　he　was　himself　in　doubt　as　to　the　rules　applicable　in　such　a　case。　This　led　to　a　furious　outbreak　in　the　House　which　lasted　for　three　days。　Adams　was　threatened　with　censure　at　the　bar　of　the　House；　with　expulsion；　with　the　grand　jury；　with　the　penitentiary；　and　it　is　believed　that　only　his　great　age　and　national　repute　shielded　him　from　personal　violence。　After　numerous　passionate　speeches　had　been　delivered；　Adams　injected　a　few　important　corrections　into　the　debate。　He　reminded　the　House　that　he　had　not　presented　a　petition　purporting　to　emanate　from　slaves；　on　the　contrary；　he　had　expressly　declined　to　present　it　until　the　Speaker　had　decided　whether　a　petition　from　slaves　was　covered　by　the　rule。　Moreover；　the　petition　was　not　against　slavery　but　in　favor　of　slavery。　He　was　then　charged　with　the　crime　of　trifling　with　the　sensibilities　of　the　House；　and　finally　the　champion　of　the　right　of　petition　took　the　floor　in　his　own　defense。　His　language　cut　to　the　quick。　His　calumniators　were　made　to　feel　the　force　of　his　biting　sarcasm。　They　were　convicted　of　injustice；　and　all　their　resolutions　of　censure　were　withdrawn。　The　victory　was　complete。　After　the　year　1838　John　Quincy　Adams　had　the　effective　support　of　Joshua　R。　Giddings　from　the　Western　Reserve；　Ohiowho　also　fought　a　pitched　battle　of　his　own　which　illustrates　another　phase　of　the　crusade　against　liberty。　The　ship　Creole　had　sailed　from　Baltimore　to　New　Orleans　in　1841　with　a　cargo　of　slaves。　The　negroes　mutinied　on　the　high　seas；　slew　one　man；　gained　possession　of　the　vessel；　sailed　to　Nassau；　and　were　there　set　free　by　the　British　Government。　Prolonged　diplomatic　negotiations　followed　in　which　our　Government　held　that；　as　slaves　were　property　in　the　United　States；　they　continued　to　be　such　on　the　high　seas。　In　the　midst　of　the　controversy；　Giddings　introduced　a　resolution　into　the　House；　declaring　that　slavery；　being　an　abridgment　of　liberty；　could　exist　only　under　local　rules；　and　that　on　the　high　seas　there　can　be　no　slavery。　For　this　act　Giddings　was　arraigned　and　censured　by　the　House。　He　at　once　resigned；　but　was　reelected　with　instructions　to　continue　the　fight　for　freedom　of　debate　in　the　House。　In　the　campaign　against　the　rights　of　freemen　mob　violence　was　first　employed；　but　in　the　South　the　weapon　of　repressive　legislation　was　soon　substituted；　and　this　was　powerfully　supplemented　by　social　and　religious　ostracism。　Except　in　a　few　districts　in　the　border　States；　these　measures　were　successful。　Public　profession　of　abolitionism　was　suppressed。　The　violence　of　the　mob　was　of　much　longer　duration　in　the　North　and　reached　its　height　in　the　years　1834　and　1835。　But　Northern　mobs　only　quickened　the　zeal　of　the　abolitionists　and　made　converts　to　their　cause。　The　attempt　to　substitute　repressive　state　legislation　had　the　same　effect；　and　the　use　of　church　authority　for　making　an　end　of　the　agitation　for　human　liberty　was　only　temporarily　influential。　As　early　as　1838　the　Presbyterian　Church　was　divided　over　questions　of　doctrine　into　Old　School　and　New　School　Presbyterians。　This　served　to　forestall　the　impending　division　on　the　slavery　question。　The　Old　School　in　the　South　became　pro…slavery　and　the　New　School　in　the　North　became　anti…slavery。　At　the　same　time　the　Methodist　Church　of　the　entire　country　was　beset　by　a　division　on　the　main　question。　In　1844　Southern　Methodist　Episcopalian　conferences　resolved　upon　separation　and　committed　themselves　to　the　defense　of　slavery。　The　division　in　the　Methodist　Church　was　completed　in　1846。　A　corresponding　division　took　place　in　the　Baptist　Church　in　1845。　The　controversy　was　dividing　the　country　into　a　free　North　and　an　enslaved　South；　and　Southern　white　men　as　well　as　negroes　were　threatened　with　subjection　to　the　demands　of　the　dominant　institution。

CHAPTER　VI。　THE　SLAVERY　ISSUE　IN　POLITICS　Some　who　opposed　mob　violence　became　active　abolitionists；　others　were　led　to　defend　the　rights　of　abolitionists　because　to　do　otherwise　would　encourage　anarchy　and　general　disorder。　The　same　was　true　of　those　who　defended　the　right　of　petition　and　the　free　use　of　the　mails　and　the　entire　list　of　the　fundamental　rights　of　freemen　which　were　threatened　by　the　crusade　against　abolitionists。　Birney's　contention　that　unless　the　slave　is　freed　no　one　can　be　free　was　thus　vindicated：　the　issue　involved　vastly　more　than　the　mere　emancipation　of　slaves。　The　attack　made　in　defense　of　slavery　upon　the　rights　of　freemen　was　early　recognized　as　involving　civil　war　unless　peaceable　emancipation　could　be　attained。　So　soon　as　John　Quincy　Adams　faced　the　new　spirit　in　Congress；　he　was　convinced　that　it　meant　probable　war。　As　early　as　May；　1836；　he　warned　the　South；　saying：　〃From　the　instant　that　your　slaveholding　States　become　the　theater　of　war；　civil；　servile；　or　foreign；　from　that　moment　the　war　powers　of　the　Constitution　extend　to　interference　with　the　institution　of　slavery。〃　This　sentiment　he　reiterated　and　amplified　on　various　occasions。　The　South　was　duly　warned　that　an　attempt　to　disrupt　the　Union　would　involve　a　war　of　whic